Scouting Bonds
by AKs Padded Parables
Summary: A young Cub Scout with an embarrassing bladder problem goes on his first campout. Can he keep his secret, or will the trip go awry?


Entering the large campsite, I wring my hands nervously as my ears droop out of worry. My furry, seven year-old body is shaking like a leaf, and my gray-blue eyes are no doubt full of fear. Some may have mistaken me for a Tiger Scout due to my small size, but I no longer bear that rank. Now in second grade, I am a proud Wolf Scout. My name is Austin Keith, and I am an anthro chipmunk.

I have only been a Wolf for a few weeks, so this will be my first-ever scouting campout. I am by no means ready, though, especially because it's a joint-affair with a troop of full-fledged Boy Scouts. Each of us younger scouts will be paired with an older scout in pre-existing tents at the site, and the pairs will all be under strict supervision. No amount of scout leader check-ups or encouraging words from my parents are going to ease my fears, however.

You see, I am a rather unique case, not scared of the wildlife or punishment like others my age. Instead, I fear something no one should ever have to worry about: being bullied and ridiculed by my peers. This has been the case since the day I started school, due to a bladder condition that forces me to wear diapers. I actually like them, 'cause they're real comfy, but they're also really embarrassing. The orange, baseball-themed designs are cool, but they don't help much.

The way I see it, there are several ways my secret could be exposed during the campout, but I'm not focused on that. The older scouts aren't likely to bully me, 'cause boys who act like that don't usually last long. No one's gonna pants me, either, due to the punishment that comes with such an offense. However, if my roommate finds out about my secret, I don't think I'll ever hear the end of it...

As luck would have it, my Cub Scout Pack has arrived before the Boy Scout troop, meaning I can get settled in without worrying about my roommate. The tents consist of a wooden platform supporting a metal frame and an outer cover. Thankfully, the horror stories I've heard don't hold up in reality. The platform needs only a good sweeping to be clean, the frame is sturdy and fairly new, and- as far as I can tell- the cover is no more than a couple years old.

With help from my daddy, who's a scoutmaster, I set up my cot and move my bags into my tent. Daddy tells me I get some free time after we finish, so I head out to see what the other boys are doing. It appears that most are playing by the creek under the bridge we came in on, so I'll join in. A few steps down, however, I spot our resident bully, Seth. He's a fat kid who loves to pick on me because I'm so small, but thankfully he doesn't know about my diapers.

I attempt to join the the others, jumping around on the rocks and playing pretend, but Seth is quick to stop me. He fires insult after insult at me, each time stepping forward. I try to back away, but he keeps coming! Eventually, I step in the creek, my foot slipping on the smooth, wet surface and landing me on my padded butt. I realize too late that the current is carrying me away, but I scream for help anyway. The water drowns out my pleas.

Thankfully, I make it to a spot where the creek goes through a pond, which gives me a chance to escape. My diaper weighs me down, though; it's absorbed as much liquid as it can. I swim with all my might, and barely manage to get to shore. Crawling over to a tree, I lie on my side and curl into a ball, sobbing. Will anyone find me, or will I be stuck out here alone?

"Austin?" My ears perk up at the sound of my daddy's voice. I look up and he comes running into view. In moments I'm in his arms, so I wrap mine around his neck. He holds me close and heads back towards camp, running into another scoutmaster when we get there. My daddy and the other man talk for a bit, and I hear that the other boys have to stay in their tents now. The older ones have arrived, and they have to follow the same rule. I also hear, thankfully, that Seth is going home, and may be banned from the Pack since he could have killed me.

My daddy and the other scoutmaster stop talking, and the other guy gives daddy a bag. Then I'm carried to the showers, and we get cleaned up together. Afterwards, daddy tapes me into a new diaper, and pulls on some clothes from the bag. He doesn't have any for me, though, so I'm stuck in just my diapie and flip flops. This means my roommate will find out my secret...

I'm really scared, but daddy promises it'll be okay. He says they got me a special partner, but I don't know if that's true. I look down at my bare, cream-colored fur; covered only by my comfy, white padding. What will my roommate think? Will he laugh at me and make fun of me all the time? Will he treat me like a big baby? I hope he just treats me normally…

Sighing, I head off through the campsite in just my diapie, probably looking the same as when we got here. Walking slowly, I try to delay what is to come, while also enjoying the feeling of being outside almost nakie. It's kinda exciting, at least until I get to my tent. Walking slowly and quietly, I avoid alerting my roommate until I'm just outside the door. I hear someone shuffling around, probably getting settled in and stuff.

Wanting to put off our first meeting longer, I peek inside through the flaps to get a look at my roommate before meeting him. Surprisingly, I see a chipmunk a foot and a half taller than me, and he's got a bag open on a strange looking cot. He pulls off his blue t-shirt, nearly taking his blue glasses off with it. For some reason, my heart starts to race as he undoes the button of his black cargo shorts. Why do I feel so weird watching him undress?

My train of thought screeches to a halt as his shorts slip down and reveal a diapie just like mine. The padding is white, with two tapes and a blue, Batman-themed design. Surprisingly, he seems to have wet it pretty heavily. The strange boy manages an entire diaper change before I come to my senses. Finally, I decide to enter the tent and meet him for the first time.

Taking a deep breath, I push open the tent flap and step inside, leaving my flip flops at the edge of the platform. Coincidentally, it appears my roommate is keeping his there as well. He has also swept the floor, which is nice and clean. As expected, I catch him off guard when I enter, but he doesn't seem mad at all. He smiles, sitting on his weird cot so we're at eye level. It's kinda awkward since neither of us are wearing clothes...

"Hi, you must be Austin," he says. I manage a weak, nervous smile.

"Y-Yeah…" I reply, wringing my hands behind my back, "What's your name?" He hoists me into his lap, and I find myself somehow wanting to be closer to him.

"Simon Seville," he answers, "Looks like we've got something in common." I feel my cheeks redden, but smile anyway. What is going on?

"Yeah, we both wear diapies," I respond. Simon laughs a bit, but in a good way.

"Yep," he ruffles my headfur, "Everyone in my troop knows I do, but I hear you keep it a secret." I nod sheepishly.

"I'd get bullied if anyone knew," I explain. Simon frowns.

"You don't know that," he counters, "A scout is kind, remember?" I nod again.

"That doesn't make me any less scared, though." Simon rubs my back and pulls me close.

"Just because you're scared doesn't mean you shouldn't try," he points out. I look down at my diapie, then back up at him with a smile.

"You're right," I say. He ruffles my hair and sets me down.

"That's the spirit," he replies, smiling, "Pull on a shirt, they'll have dinner ready soon." Happy for the first time since leaving home, I pull on my favorite white and orange, Texas Longhorns tee. When I turn around after dressing, I see Simon wearing a blue, Batman t-shirt over his matching diapie. He smiles and pulls me close with one arm.

"We both match our diapers, don't we?" he says. I nod, but happily this time.

"Yeah, we do!" I respond, smiling. Simon kneels in front of me, and I climb on his back in the piggyback position. He looks back at me and smiles.

"Ready?" he asks. I nod just as one of the scoutmasters shouts that dinner is ready. I hold my new friend close as he carries me outside, heading for the firepit. I like how strong he is, but I'm not sure why. Everyone is super nice when we get to the campfire, and the younger boys say they're sorry for what Seth did. Some even compliment my diapie. Simon gets us both food in the meantime, and then we sit together by the fire.

After dinner, people start telling jokes and stories, so Simon and I stay in our seats. I have to peepee after a while, and of course I wet my diapie 'cause I can't hold it. I don't say anything, though. Soon, I am getting tired, so I lean against my friend and let my eyes rest. After a few minutes, I fall asleep in the middle of a scary story about the boogeyman.

* * *

Suddenly, I am back in the tent, lying on my cot inside a sleeping bag. Simon is gone, and it's really dark so I can't see very well. Noises come from outside, like leaves crunching and twigs snapping as someone walks. There's a low, growling sound, like a dog but worse. I'm really scared, so I pull the sleeping bag up to my chin, shaking. A giant, dark man with blood red eyes enters the tent, towering above me. I'm terrified, to the point that I can't even muster a scream.

"Wake up." the man says. His voice grows louder. "Wake up!" Suddenly, the voice morphs into Simon's, surprising me. "WAKE UP!" I suddenly come to, still inside the tent, and Simon is gently shaking me awake. I can tell my diaper is soaked, but hasn't leaked. I sit up, pull my friend into a tight hug, and begin to sob. He rubs my back, and after a while I start drying up.

"Shh, it's okay," Simon whispers. I finally calm down after a minute or two, and release him. He pulls out my changing supplies, and quickly gets me into a fresh diapie. I notice that my shirt is gone now, but I don't mind. It's kinda warm out anyway. As he puts my supplies up, I notice Simon is also in just his diapie. It sounds weird, but… I think he's cute…

Simon tugs on my arm, leading me to his special cot. He opens his sleeping bag, slips inside and then I get inside too. His cot is really comfy, like memory foam! Simon zips the sleeping bag up over us and then wraps an arm around me.

"No more nightmares, okay?" he says. I wrap my arms around him.

"Okay. Thank you, Si…" I respond, nuzzling into his chest. He kisses my forehead, and somehow, I like it. Closing my eyes, I fall asleep in his embrace.

* * *

A decade later, Simon and I still stay in touch. I now stand 4'5" fully-grown, but he's still a head taller. I'm now a senior year in high school, and Simon is a semester away from a Master's degree at UC Berkeley. He's going to work on a doctorate next, which is great, but I rarely hear from him because of his studies. My birthday is the day after Thanksgiving, and I still wonder if he'll visit or not...

Thanksgiving comes quickly, and I spend most of the time with my family. No sign of Simon, but then again he has probably been with his family too. I prepare for bed with a my heart in my throat, wondering if I'll see my friend before he returns to his all-important classes. Pulling on my favorite soft, orange nightshirt, I slip off my pants and take a seat on my bed. I confirm my suspicions with a visual check; I need a last-minute change before bed.

Thankfully, I know how to change myself now, so I can deal with my problem quickly. A couple minutes later, I fasten the two tapes of my custom, Robin-themed diaper, wash my hands, and climb in bed. It's not long before I have fallen asleep, hoping to see Simon in the morning.

Only a few hours later, however, something rustles me awake. I look tiredly up towards the side of my bed, but I see nothing out of the ordinary. I realize there is another possibility, so I roll over and check the other side of my bed. Simon is there, wearing a blue shirt and, of course, his Batman diaper. Immediately, we pull each other into a hug and gently nuzzle.

"Happy Birthday, Austin," Simon says. I give him a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks, Si," I reply. He pauses for a moment, looking at something, and then speaks.

"It's 4:44. You know what that means?" he asks. I smile.

"I'm 18 now," I answer excitedly. He laughs.

"That… and this," he responds. Suddenly, he presses his lips against mine, pulling me into a deep, passionate kiss. Immediately, I kiss back, and for a few seconds we're lost in the embrace. Finally, though, we separate. I feel the need to speak first.

"I love you, Si…" I murmur. He presses another kiss to my forehead

"I love you too, Aus."


End file.
